Feeler mechanism for looms



A. E. HHOADES. FEELER'IVIECHAN'ISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED IEB. 2, 1920.

" 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- IIIIIIII ,Patented Oct 1L 11921.,

A. E. RHOADES. FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2,|920. 1,393,39'L Patented oct. u, 1921..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2A Fig.

nvenTor. AlongoZ-Rhoudes ALONZO n. ianoanns, or nOPnnALn, MASSACHUSETTS,AssreNor. To DRAPER Conro- RATION, or normanni, MASSACHUSETTS, ACORPORATION or NATNE.

FEELER MECHANISM i FR LOOMS.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that T, ALONZO E. RHoADns, acitizen of the United States,` residing at Hopedale, county ofl/Vorcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Tmprovement inFeeler Mechanism for Looms, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, likecharacters on the drawing representing like parts. ,y

This invention relates to an automatic filling replenishing loom such asthe well known Northrop loom and has for its obf ject to provide asimple' and improved means for detecting substantial exhaustion offilling and for effecting the initiation of filling replenishment. A

y This and other objects and .features Aof thelinvention Vwill appearmore fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will beparticularly pointed out in the claims. i Y

The drawings disclose so much of an automatic filling replenishing loomof the Northroptype as isnecessary to a disclosure of the inventiontogetherwith a` preferred form ofthe invention embodied therein.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the loom sufficient for adisclosure of the invention.

Fig. 2 `is a side elevation looking toward the left in Fig. 1 of thefeeler stand and parts mounted therein with a bobbin shown in crosssection.' y y v Fig. 3 is a view invertical cross section of theconstruction shown inFig. 2.

Fig. l is a top plan View partially broken away of the constructionshown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical cross section of a portion of theconstruction taken on the line 5--5` of Fig. 1. i i

As the Northrop type of automatic filling replenishing loom is wellknown and fa miliar to those skilled in the art no extended descriptionof its construction or operation is here necessary.

The loom frame comprising theloom sides l and 2 connected by the breastbeam 3 supports 'at the right a hopper stand A carrying the usual rotaryhopper in which are mounted the supply of freshfilling carriers. Fromthis `hopper upon the call for filling replenishment the fresh fillingcarriers are successively transferred by the action of the transferrerarm 5 to the shuttle then boxed in the i Specification of LettersPatent.

...Datemi-ea oet. ii, aaai.

VApplication filed February 2, 1920. Serial No. 355,573.

shuttle box 6 at the righthand side of the lay 7 and beneath the hopper.

The breast beam is also shown as sup-` porting a weft fork 8 whichreceives its actuation from the usual constantly vibrat lng weft hammer9 actuated from a shaft in the loom frame. The breast beam also supportsthe `usual knock off lever 10 by which the shipper 11 is thrown to stopthe actuation of the loom.

The initiation of the filling replenishing action of the loom isusually. effected by a partialrotation of the controller rod or shaft12V extending along the front of the loom beneath the breast beam. Forthis purpose the controller rod 12 is provided with an rip-standing arm13 to which ispivoted at 14-a`latch 15, andthe action is such that whenthe latch 15 is moved forwardly the controller rod 12 will be rocked-toeffect the actuation` of the transferrer and thus effect the transfer ofav fresh filling carrier from the hopper to the shuttle containing theexhausted filling carrier.

` The detection of substantial filling exhaust-ion in the runningshuttle is usaully effectedat the left hand side of the loom'by a feelermechanism so constructed and arrangedthat the point of the feeler uponthe beat up enters through alined openings in the shuttle box andshuttle wall and feels against the mass of filling on the bobbin. "Whenthis mass of filling has become exhausted to a predetermined extent thefeeler is so actuated or positioned as upon detection of this fact toset in motion the opera tion of the controller rod 12 to initiate thelling replenishingaction.

The objects of the present invention are embodied in a preferred form offeeler mechanism illustrated. In this construction the feeler stand 16is secured as usual by a set screw 17 passing through a` slot 18 thereinto the breast beam at the left `hand `end of the loom. This feelerstandis a two part box like structure secured together by the screws 19. Afeeler head 20 preferably rof rectangular cross section at its rearwardis provided with a plurality of ways arranged in a vertical series tosupport and guide a corresponding plurality of feeler points or fingersand these ways are closed at one side to permit access to the feelerpoints and to retain them in place by a plate 24 removably secured tothe feeler head as by the pins 25.

*Each feeler point preferably is constituted as a fiat horizontallyarranged blade like member. In the construction shown there are three ofthese feeler points located in three ways arranged one above the other.Themiddle feeler point 26 is provided at its forward end with a butt 27fitting in an enlarged section of its way and seated against a helicalspring 28. The upper feeler point 29 and the lower feeler point 30 areshown as somewhat shorter than the middle feeler point and the buttsthereof 31 and 32 respectively extend in opposite directions from thebody of the feeler point, but are located in similar enlarged portionsof the ways and abut against similar springs 33 and 34. This arrangementof the butts of the feeler points enables the feeler points` to belocated quite closely together and the eXtreme rearward ends of thefeeler points may be brought still more closely together by bending theupper and lower feeler points toward the middle feeler point as shownvin Figs. 2 and 3. A closing plate 35 is removably secured over theforward ends of the ways beneath the plate 24. Each feeler point isprovided with a lateral projection 36 and these projections are locatedat the same distance from the rearward ends of the feeler points so thatnormally they stand in 'vertical alinement.

The bobbin 37 `is formed near its butt to present a plurality'oflongitudinal grooves or recesses 38 supported by ribs 39. Thearrangement is such that upon the beat-up ythe feeler points enterthrough the opening 40 in the shuttle boX and the corresponding alinedopening in the shuttle wall and contact with the mass of filling 41 onthe bobbin. Preferably when this contact takes place the middle feelerpoint 36 is opposite the axis of the bobbin. So long as the grooves orrecesses 38 are covered by the filling all of the feeler points will bepressed forwardly against their springs 28, 33 and 34 thus carrying the'projections 36 forwardly. Vhen, however, the filling has becomeexhaustedto a predetermined degree so as'toruncoverthe grooves or recessesopposite the feeler points one or more of the feeler points will enterthe oppositely disposed recess or groove and upon the completion of thebeat-up will not be moved forwardly.

The idea of the plurality of vertically disposed feeler points is, andthe arrange- `ment is such, that no matter what may be the angular axialposition of the bobbin in the shuttle at least one of the feeler pointswill enter a recess in the bobbin when the filling is absent. It isimpossible to position the bobbin rotarily in such a manner as toprevent one of these feeler points entering recess when it is uncovered.This is important because it is difiicnlt if not im possible to secure apredetermined rotary or axial position of the bobbin in the shuttle.

The detecting action of the feeler caused by the failure of one or moreof the feeler points to move forwardly when the filling has becomeexhausted sufficiently to uncover the grooves or recesses opposite thefeeler points is availed of to initiate the filling replenishing actionof the loom. This is secured through mechanism of a novel character, apreferred form of which is illustrated.

One of the novel features resides in the controlling mechanism beingactuated by a. vibrating member such as the vibrating weft hammer toposition the means for initiating the filling replenishing action of theloom in position to receive its actuation in turn from this vibratingmember or weft hammer.

In the construction illustrated a rod 42 is mounted at one end in abearing 43 on the feeler stand and near the opposite end in a bearing 44on a bracket 45 secured to the breast beam. The right hand end of thisrod is offset to form a crank arm 46 which extends beneath the latch 15.Thus, the rod 42 may be rocked in its bearings to raise the rearward endof the latch into position to receive actuation from the vibratingmember or weft hammer 9. For this purpose the upper end of the wefthammer is conveniently provided with a shouldered fiange 47 againstwhich the rearward end of the latch 15 abuts when raised, and beneathwhich it passes when in its lowered position. A helical spring 48surrounding the rod 42 and fast at one end to the bearing 44 and at theopposite end to a collar 49 on the rod 42 acts normally to rotate therod 42 in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 5 allowing the latch 15 bygravity to drop to a position where the flanged head 47 of the wefthammer will pass over the end of the latch as it vibrates forwardly,thus preventing actuation of the mechanism for initiating fillingreplenishment. The positioning of the latch 15 into position to bestruck by the weft hammer upon its forward vibration and thus toinitiate filling replenishment is effected by the weft hammer itself.This result is secured by securing to the rod 42 a sleeve 50 providedwith a crank arm 51 carrying at its free end a pin or bolt 52, and bypivotally mounting at 53 on the weft hammer a link 54 having a slot 55engaging the pin 52. The action meegeev is such that at .each rearwardvibration of the wefthammer this link acts to rock the rod 42 toraisefthe latch into position where if it remains itwill be struck uponthe forward vibration `of the weft hammer.

During the normal operation of the loom the latch 15 is thus raised bythe weft hammerupon eachrearward vibration and as the weft hammervibrates forwardly the s orino 48 rocks the rod42 in the oppositediactuating movement from the weft hammer.

A simple and effective construction for securing this result isillustrated. The dog 56 is pivoted to the feeler stand at 57 with its`nose 58 opposite the projections 36 on the feeler points when thefeeler is in normal position. This dog is provided at its upper surfacewith a cam groove 59. The rod 42 above the dog has secured thereto bymeans of the set screws 60 a collar 61 provided with a depending pin 62having a preferably spherical lower end 63 riding in the cam groove 59.

During the normal operation of the loom when the lay beats up with theshuttle boxed opposite the feeler and so long as the filling has notbeen deplenished to the predetermined degree the filling on the bobbinconn tacting with the feeler points moves them all forwardly against theaction of `their respective springs causing the projections `36 to passforward of the nose 58 of the dog. Consequentlythe dog 56 is free to berocked on its pivot 57 by the depending pin 62 from the shaft 52. When,however, the

filling on the bobbin has become deplenished sufficiently to uncover agroove or recess 38 in the bobbin opposite the feeler point, upon thenext beat-up of the lay, one or more of the feeler points will enterthis recess and consequently the corresponding projections 85 will notbe moved forwardly to clear the nose 58 of the dog, and the dog will berestrained from rocking movement on its shaft. But when this restrainttakes place the weft hammer 9 has by its rearward vibration raised thelatch 15 into position so that when the weft hammer comes forwardly itwill be actuated thereby. The flange 47 on the weft hammer is now but ashort distance in the rear of the free end of the latch 15 and as theweft hammer starts to vibrate forwardly the rod 42 is held from rotationunder the influence of the spring 48 by the pin 62 locking in the camgroove 59 of the dog so that the rod 42 cannot rockto allow the latch 15to drop before the `free end of the latch is caughtby the flange 47 onthe weft hammer, and the latch 15 is moved forwardly rocking thecontroller rod 1 2 and initiating filling replenishment. The slot 55 inthe link 54 enables the forward movement of the weft hammer to takeplace while the rod 42 is restrained against rotation. Y

The invention thus produces a construction which is simple and accuratein its operation and in which replenishment is promptly effected uponthe exhaustion of the running filling to a predetermined amount. j

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is- 1. An automatic filling replenishing loomcomprising a vibrating weft hammer, a feeler movable into abnormalposition upon the detection of a predetermined degree of fillingexhaustion on the running shuttle, a pivoted latch, means operated bybodily forward movement of the latch to initiate the fillingreplenishing action of the loom, a rod j ournaled for rotary movement onthe loom frame and having a crank arm engaging the latch, a springconnected to the rod and acting to rock the rod in a direction to allowthe latch to move out of position to be struck by the weft hammer, aconnection between said rod and the said weft hammer whereby the wefthammer upon its rearward vibration will rock the rod to move the latchinto position to be struck by the weft hammer on its forward vibration,a dog pivoted adjacent the feeler and provided with a cam groove, and apin projecting radially from the rod and engaging the said groove, thedog being free to rock under normal conditions but being restrained fromrocking by the feeler when in abnormal position.

2. An automatic filling replenishing loom having the constructiondefined in claim 1 in which there are a plurality of feelers movableinto abnormal position and in which the dog is free to rock under normalconditions but is restrained from rocking by any one of the feelers whenin abnormal position.

3. An automatic filling replenishing loom comprising a vibrating wefthammer, a feeler stand, a feeler head mounted for yielding reciprocationin said stand, a plurality of superimposed ways in said head, aplurality of feeler fingers constituted as thin fiat blades mounted insaid ways, means for yielding-ly and [independently maintaining saidfeeler fingers in projected position, the said feeler fingersindependently movable into abnormal position upon the detection therebyofa predetermined degree of filling exhaustion on the running shuttle, apivoted latch, means operated by bodily forward movement of the latch toinitiate the iilling replenishing` action of the loom, a rod jour-`naled for rotary movement on the loom frame and having a crank armeng-aging the latch, a spring connected to the rod and acting tofroclrthe rod in a direction to allow the latch to move out of position to bestruck bythe weft hammer, a connectionV between said rod and the saidweft hammer whereby the weft hammer upon its rearward vibrationwill rockthe rod to move the latch into position to be struck by the weft hammeron its forward Vibration, and means for restraining the rocking of therod upon the movement of any feeler finger into abnormal position.V

Ll. An automatic iilling` replenishing loom comprising a ieeler stand, afeeler head mounted for yielding reciprocation in said stand, aplurality of superimposed ways in said head, a plurality of feelerlingers constituted as thin Hat blades mounted in said ways, means foryieldingly and independently maintaining said feeler lingers in pro-`iected position, and means for initiating fill! ing,` replenishingaction controlled by any one of the eeler lingers when in abnormalposition due to the detection thereby of a predetermined degree offilling exhaustion on the running shuttle.

In testimony whereof, have name to this specification.

ALONZO E. RHOADES.

Signed my

